one big happy back to school!

back to school is just around the corner (as much as i wish it weren’t true!), and i am freaking out! we actually have about a month until we go back, but these last weeks always seem to fly by faster than i expect. i always have several projects i want to finish, we try to wrap up our summer list, get our school books and supplies, and sometimes a few new outfits for school.

our kids dress pretty conservatively but with their own style. i have let my kids pick out their own clothes since they were old enough to have an opinion on clothes (maybe 3 or 4?), as long as they were modest and weather appropriate, and in line with the school dress code.

allowing my kids this freedom has saved us from many battles over clothes, i’m sure! lily loves clothes, but like her mother, loves comfort even more! Silas is actually really similar in his love for comfort – he would wear sweatpants every single day if he had enough clean pairs!

we are huge fans of hand-me-downs, whether its from older sister to younger sister, clothing handed to us from older friends, or being able to bless others by handing down our outgrown clothes.

one thing i’ve noticed over the years is the difference in quality of clothing and how it holds up after being worn and handed down. we have a friend a couple years older than our oldest daughter who has passed down lots of Gymboree clothing over the years. those clothes have then been passed down to lily, then on to 2 other girls! its so fun to see my girls’ clothes on other little girls, and have memories flood back to when my girls were littler!

but the lesser quality clothing? it doesn’t always make it down that far.

Silas was so excited about his new outfit from Gymboree, mostly because it wasn’t jeans – ha! you’d think i was strangling his legs or something with his aversion to denim, but soft cotton makes this boy happy. actually, he loved lots of the active wear line of clothing on Gymboree’s website.

anyone else freaking out about how big their kids are getting? yeah, me too. 4th grade and 6th grade for these two. and how cute is lily’s doe sweatshirt? i want a mommy size onesie in this fabric!

if you’re like me and don’t have a Gymboree near you, shop online! i find so many great deals, especially in their sale section, which is huge! the prices are really reasonable and the quality of clothing is durable to withstand taking a beating time and time again (remember, hand-me-downs?).

i can remember as a kid picking my outfit out days ahead of time for the first day of school! i’d also make myself a list of all the things i needed to do in the morning before the first day, and even set time’s for each thing! funny thing, lily often does the same thing! she makes herself lists of what she needs to do in the morning and checks them off as she goes. what’s the saying about the apple and the tree…

Adorable!!! Love seeing your kids! You will be thrilled to have these pictures later on down the road. Completely captures their personalities. What cool clothes too! Love how your Lily actually looks like a “little girl” (although, you might choose not to share that with her-haha-sure she wants to be grown up). Love how Silas is literally jumping the walls!!

What absolutely beautiful children! You must be so proud of them. Just wanted to say I’m also a huge fan of pre-loved clothes. It makes a lot of sense for growing kids but I’ve never really grown out of my student phase when I was too poor to shop in department or high street stores and hauled charity shops! I still do it today, not only because I love a good bargain and clothes that have a mysterious history but also because it’s so one off, it encourages more creativity and it helps others less fortunate at the same time! I often find designer clothes and vintage pieces that are now currently on trend. I love trawling around searching for hidden treasures!

I had people pass down Gymboree clothing to me when my oldest was a baby. Those outfits had already come from a couple of older siblings. I actually saved some of my favorites and was able to put my youngest in them 12+ years later. The quality just cannot be beat!
I always snatch up the Gymboree items for my youngest when I shop our annual consignment sale. And I’m in love with the company’s concept of coordinating outfits. I quit picking out my kid’s outfits when my second oldest was about 2. It was just not a battle I was willing to engage in. As long as it was modest, weather appropriate and within dress code I was good. Gymboree made it easy since everything worked together.

My current favorite looks are any of the DC Comic items. You can’t go wrong with Batman and friends!

My son wears a uniform to school so no “cool” clothes for school. However he’s just starting to get an opinion on what he wants to wear and it’s so fun watching him pick out things and watching his personality develop.

My little girls have actually been wearing some of little sister’s gymboree clothes(outgrown and saved a good ten years ago, haha). They are definitely good quality! My kids usually get their clothes from the huuuge twice yearly consignment sale, but I’d love an excuse to look around Gymboree! The doe sweatshirt would be a serious contender!